Saturday, 8th March, 2025

I want to find a book or online resource that explains microwave rf design stuff to me. So many times I look at articles or blog posts where hams have made various microwave things and I have no idea why they’re doing something. Horns, pot caps, sun noise, wtf are they talking about.

Admittedly, I don’t have deep knowledge of regular radio and it’s more just use stuff and make contacts. I do make antenna but that’s mostly following instructions online but I do have an idea of why.

I could just buy various microwave things and join them together and try and make contacts but everything is expensive so I’m hesitant.

But I also don’t have time for that. Just like going up hills. Another thing with microwave is you often need a radio to drive the start of it. The radio I just sold, the IC-705, is pretty much the favourite everyone uses. So that’s slightly annoying. However, when I bought the 705 I told myself it would be useful for microwave stuff but I’ve not done any and I think it’ll be years before I do. By which time something new will be out anyway. Or, what usually happens, is everyone still says the 705 is the best and newer models aren’t as good and so used prices stay sky high. There is a new yaesu coming out that’s similar to the 705, and I do wonder if people will sell their 705 for it…but this depends on if the new yaesu is actually any good.

I don’t need more radios. I need to finish the projects I have and make some more antenna and the packet radio thing.